Feeding Frenzy: China, Africa, and the Great Land Grab

Speaker:

Dr. Deborah BräutigamProfessor of International Development and Comparative Politics and Director of the International Development Program at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)

About the Program

What role does China play in the recent rush for land acquisition in Africa? Conventional wisdom suggests a large role for the Chinese government and its firms. Our research suggests the opposite. Land acquisitions by Chinese companies have so far been quite limited, and focused on production for African consumption. This talk traces the evolution of strategy and incentives for Chinese agricultural engagement in Africa, and examines more closely several of the more well-known cases, sorting out the myths and the realities.

Currently Professor of International Development and Comparative Politics and Director of the International Development Program at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), she has also held faculty appointments at American University, Columbia University, the University of Bergen, Norway, and been a fellow with the Centre for Chinese Studies, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington, DC.

Dr. Bräutigam has twice won the Fulbright research award. She is also a recipient of fellowships from the Council on Foreign Relations and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. Her research has been funded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Smith Richardson Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the North South Center at the University of Miami, and the UK Centre for Economic Policy and Research (CEPR).

She has served as a consultant for Transparency International, the United Nations, the World Bank, DFID, GIZ, DANIDA, the African Development Bank, and USAID, and has provided commentary to the Financial Times, New York Times, Guardian, CNN, NPR, Al-Jazeera, VOA, CCTV, and MSNBC. Her Ph.D. is from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

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